The Wright Center’s: Health Literacy Goes A Long Way Toward Long-term Wellness Here at The Wright Center, we’re big proponents of our patients serving as their own best advocates for their long-term health. So, naturally, we’re happy to promote awareness campaigns like Health Literacy Month. Observed throughout October, Health Literacy Month was started in 1999 by health communication expert Helen Osborne as a way for organizations and the general public to spread awareness on the need for patients to more efficiently process, analyze, and evaluate the information they are receiving from their health care providers. Through better health literacy, people can overcome challenges that result in bad health outcomes and in the process, create a more equitable world “where everyone can access high-quality care and achieve positive health outcomes,” according to the Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA), the group that oversees Health Literacy Month. According to IHA, studies have shown that a large number of patients have significant difficulty reading, comprehending, and acting on the health information provided to them, often due to the complexity of the information and a lack of clear, plainspoken communication on the part of the provider. In addition, basic literacy skills, language differences, age, disability, cultural context, and emotional responses can also hinder a patient’s health literacy, which can negatively affect health outcomes and costs. Thankfully, efforts like Health Literacy Month are helping to bridge that gap. In recent years, the event has become a worldwide initiative with numerous health care organizations, government agencies, literacy programs, colleges, professional organizations, businesses, social service organizations, and community partnerships hosting and collaborating on various health literacy events every October. Fitting into that theme, earlier this year The Wright Center joined an impressive list of organizations across the country when it was designated by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), an office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as a Healthy People 2030 Champion, affirming our longtime commitment to improving the health and well-being of all people. Applicants are selected on the basis of possessing a demonstrated interest in and experience with disease prevention, health promotion, health equity, well-being, and health literacy. One of the main focuses of the Healthy People initiative is addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH). These social conditions impact people in the places where they live, learn, work, and play and can affect their quality of life and health. Examples of SDOH include exposure to polluted air and water, exposure to racism and violence, and an individual’s level of access to things such as nutritious foods, educational attainment, job opportunities, safe housing, and outlets for physical activity. The Wright Center has made SDOH a critical part of our mission, and we’re firmly committed to providing exceptional integrated primary and preventive health care services to our diverse patient population throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. That means giving patients the tools they need to become their best advocates, including spending as much time as needed with them and their families and delivering information with clarity, purpose, and empathy. Our resident physicians also partnered with community organizations to address SDOH. For example, we delivered educational programming at the Indraloka Animal Sanctuary for regional children about the importance of healthy eating habits and collaborated with Child Hunger Outreach Partners to package nutritious food for regional children experiencing food insecurity. It is important to know that a little knowledge goes a long way. My colleagues and I at The Wright Center for Community Health are adamant about providing patients with the right information so they can make the right decisions about their health. For more information about Health Literacy Month, visit https://healthliteracymonth.org. Ayushi Jain, M.D., is a resident physician in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency program and serves as the chief resident liaison for The Wright Center for Patient and Community Engagement Board.
Doctor Joins The Wright Center The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have named Dr. Richard Weinberger as deputy director for Allied and John Heinz Services and core faculty for the Internal Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency programs. He will oversee the development and execution of strategies to enhance The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s programs at Allied and John Heinz as deputy director. He will also assist the designated institutional official in assessing, implementing, and developing new graduate medical education programs and will serve on the Graduate Medical Education Committee. In addition, Dr. Weinberger will serve as a core faculty member of the Internal Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency programs. In that role, he will treat patients and supervise resident physicians, medical students, and interprofessional health learners at The Wright Center for Community Health and Allied and John Heinz clinical learning environments. He will also see patients at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn. Dr. Weinberger is board certified in internal medicine and geriatric medicine and a fellow of both the American College of Physicians and American College of Osteopathic Internists. He has a long history with The Wright Center. After graduating from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, he completed his internal medicine residency at the Scranton-Temple Residency program, the precursor to The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. For decades, he has worked in private practices in Lackawanna County, most recently with Horizon Medical Corp. For more information about the locations and services provided by The Wright Center for Community Health, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019. Call 570.866-3017 or email GMErecruitment@TheWrightCenter.org for more information about The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education.
The Wright Center Announces Keynote Speaker for 2023 Commencement Innovative keynote speaker, classical violinist, and composer Kai Kight will deliver the inspiring commencement address, “Compose Your World,” during The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s 44th annual commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 24 at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple, 420 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, beginning at 4 p.m. As a classical violinist turned innovative composer, Kight uses music as a metaphor to inspire individuals and organizations around the world to compose paths of imagination and fulfillment. He is on a mission to spark a global mindset shift in which ingenuity is the norm and not the exception. “Whether in education, business, health care, or government, the systems and routines we depended on for so long have disappeared,” said Kight. “While this void has been devastating, it also leaves us with an incredible opportunity – a blank page on which we can compose our future. We will look back at this time as the moment we made leaps forward by creating more innovative technologies, more human-centric businesses, and more inclusive workplaces.” His unique background is a blend of both art and science. As a musician, Kight has performed his original music for thousands of people in venues around the world, from the White House to the Great Wall of China. A graduate of Stanford University’s design and engineering program, the Stanford d.school, and the Behavior Design Lab, Kight studied how to help people create healthy and transformative habits in life. “A musical masterpiece is a unique, alive, just right, timeless blessing that captures and connects the fundamental and essential stories of the musical composer, the music, and the audience,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, FACP, FAAP, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “It remains relevant across time, contemporary circumstances, cultures, and generations. It speaks to humanity about our interdependence and our connectedness to each other and the university. “Kai Kight’s inspiring message to dare to play the music that makes you stronger and his passionate, talented delivery are powerful, therapeutic, and both mission and vision aligned with The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education,” she added. “Through the music he composes and performs and the life stories and lessons he shares, Mr. Kight will certainly relax and entertain us, while paradoxically challenging us to think introspectively and collectively about our own lives, our shared future, and the progressive human journey.” The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Class of 2023 has 80 graduates from seven disciplines: Internal Medicine (35); Regional Family Medicine (11); National Family Medicine (17); Psychiatry (10); Cardiovascular Disease (4); Geriatrics (2) and Gastroenterology (1). “The physicians in our Class of 2023 know the importance of providing inclusive, responsive, compassionate, high-quality health services to the patients, families, and communities we serve,” said Thomas-Hemak. “They know the playbook of ‘Wright’ health care and medical education, and they know the difference between what Mr. Kight calls air violining and real engagement playing their part in the master orchestra of medicine. “We celebrate our graduates and our confidence that they will go forth into thrilling and fulfilling futures, energized by their competence and meaningful contributions to service society and to advance public health, the noble profession of medicine, and medical education.” In July, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education will welcome 88 residents and fourfellows to its regional and national residency and fellowship programs. The resident physicians will train in the following programs: Internal Medicine Residency (40); Regional Family Medicine Residency (12); Psychiatry Residency (12), and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (5). The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s National Family Medicine Residency includes resident physicians at the Tucson, Arizona (4); Auburn, Washington (6); Washington, D.C. (6), and Hillsboro, Ohio (3) training sites. Fellows will also begin training in the Cardiovascular Disease (3) and Gastroenterology (1) fellowships in July. Similar to Kight, The Wright Center sparks innovation in the delivery of primary and preventive care and the cost-effective education and training of an inspired, competent physician workforce. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education is affiliated with The Wright Center for Community Health, which serves as the cornerstone ambulatory care delivery service organization of The Wright Center’s Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium, the largest in the nation funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. Together with consortium stakeholders, The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education train primary care residents and fellows in a community-based, community-needs-responsive workforce development model to improve the health and welfare of our communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve. For more information about The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, go to TheWrightCenter.org, call 570.866.3017, or email gmerecruitment@TheWrightCenter.org
The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education awarded federal grants to plan and develop residency programs in pediatric dentistry, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology Scranton, Pa. (April 5, 2023) – The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have been awarded three grant awards totaling $1.5 million from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for the planning and development of three residency programs, further expanding and enriching physician training opportunities in Northeast Pennsylvania. As a nearly 50-year-old nonprofit enterprise providing graduate medical education and primary health services in Northeastern Pennsylvania, The Wright Center, along with partnering institutions and community providers, intends to explore establishing accredited residency programs in pediatric dentistry, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology. “We are grateful for the high-impact financial support from HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce and Congressman Cartwright’s reliable leadership support for our mission and our region,” said Dr. Jumee Barooah, The Wright Center’s designated institutional official. “These graduate medical education planning and development grants will allow The Wright Center to invite and convene inclusive community stakeholders to strategic planning conversations inspired by a shared understanding of the impact of these training programs to increase access to primary health services and future career opportunities for children and adults in the communities we serve.” This federal grant funding was made available through HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program, using appropriations from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The initiative is intended to strengthen and expand community-based residency programs in rural and other medically underserved communities across the United States. HRSA’s Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education funding is allocated specifically for physician and dental training that includes community-based and governed care settings, such as The Wright Center for Community Health’s Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike venues. The training opportunities created for these residents help to expand and improve the distribution of the nation’s primary health services workforce beyond affluent urban areas to economically disadvantaged areas. As a grant awardee, The Wright Center may apply its funding to startup costs, including planning meetings, curriculum development, recruitment and training of residents and faculty, and necessary activities related to obtaining program accreditation from either the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The successful introduction of these programs will represent another milestone in The Wright Center’s continued strategic growth as a generator of compassionate, highly skilled, and patient-centered physicians who can help to address the region’s and nation’s ongoing health care services inequities and workforce shortages. The nonprofit organization was founded in 1976 as the Scranton-Temple Residency Program. A year later, it welcomed its first class of six internal medicine residents. Since then, the organization has been renamed and has grown in size and scope to reflect the community’s – and the country’s – evolving needs. It now trains about 250 residents and fellows each academic year in the region and at partner training sites in Arizona, Ohio, Washington state, and Washington, D.C. The Wright Center currently offers residencies in internal medicine, family medicine, physical medicine & rehabilitation, and psychiatry, as well as fellowships in cardiovascular disease, gastroenterology, and geriatrics. All of its residency and fellowship programs are accredited by the ACGME. Additionally, in partnership with NYU Langone Dental Medicine, The Wright Center has served as a training site since 2021 for dentists in an Advanced Education in General Dental Residency Program. To learn more about the medical education opportunities at The Wright Center, visit TheWrightCenter.org.
The Wright Center Names Vice President for Quality and Assurance Constance S. Sixta The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education has named Constance S. Sixta as vice president for quality and assurance. Sixta is very familiar with the mission, vision and core values of The Wright Center after serving as a quality improvement consultant for population health, care management, referral management and care compacts at the regional health care and workforce development provider for more than 10 years. She initially acted as director of the Pennsylvania Chronic Care Initiative in which she collaborated with executive leadership at The Wright Center in successfully implementing chronic disease management. Over the next couple of years, she worked more directly with The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education and the American Medical Association Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement and the state Department of Health on the first national collaborative directed at closing the referral loop between primary care and specialist practices. Known as the “Closing the Referral Loop,” the initiative improved referral timeliness and report receipts between specialists and primary care providers in community practices throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. Most recently, Sixta worked in partnership with The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education in the implementation of quality improvement strategies, care management implementation, and the Resident and Fellow Population Management Course. In this new role, she will work collaboratively across departments and services to ensure that clinical practices and clinical education are operating at the highest level of quality. The vice president will co-create workflow improvements and educational opportunities with executives in the clinical and educational pillars of the Wright Center and own innovations and sustainable improvement efforts, particularly around issues relating to continuum of patient care, enterprise-wide training in quality processes, quality oversight, population health and enterprise quality improvement, including Plan Do Study Acts (PDSAs) and safe reports. “I have witnessed the great work being done by administration, management, providers, staff, residents and fellows across the organization, as we care for populations of special concern that experience disparate socioeconomic status,” Sixta said. “I have enjoyed working with everyone here. Most importantly, though, I have the utmost respect for The Wright Center’s mission of improving the health and well-being of our communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve.” A well-recognized leader in quality improvement activities, Sixta’s experience ranges from the improvement of patient flow in large hospital systems to transformation of primary care practices to the enhancement of practice referral systems for specialty and primary care practices. She has worked with private primary care practices and graduate medical education primary care practices, including Federally Qualified Health Centers. She has also directed improvement collaboratives sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges, American Medical Association, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, state governments and more. Most recently, Sixta worked on the transformation of primary care practices to include the development of system infrastructure, change packages and tool kits that support population management. Sixta holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in nursing from the University of Nebraska in Omaha, Nebraska, as well as an MBA from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and a doctorate in nursing from UTH Health Science Center, School of Nursing, in Houston, Texas. For more information about The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, please lot on to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Center for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education receives Gold Advocacy Center of Excellence Designation The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) has recognized The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education as a Gold Advocacy Center of Excellence (ACE) – the first community health center in Pennsylvania to achieve the gold standard. The ACE designation from the national body shows The Wright Center is dedicated to advocating for and supporting community health centers that provide comprehensive primary and preventive health services to medically underserved populations in rural and urban areas. “It is an incredible honor to be recognized by NACHC with the Gold ACE designation,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “Our advocacy efforts extend throughout our organization, as our 625 dedicated employees live and deliver our shared mission to improve the health and welfare of the communities we are privileged to serve. I am very proud of their collective service efforts to ensure high-quality primary and preventative care are available for all of our patients.” An ACE is a community health center that creates a culture of advocacy to ensure that policymakers at all levels of government commit to investing in affordable, equitable and innovative care that health centers provide. ACE levels recognize consistent engagement, success and demonstrated ongoing commitment to making advocacy an organization priority. ACEs are actively engaged with NACHC and forums addressing federal policy issues, as well as their state primary care association and platforms to address key state and local-level policy issues that impact community health centers and their patients. NACHC awards three levels of ACEs: bronze, silver and gold. Each designation is valid for two years. In order to earn ACE status, a community health center must complete a checklist of activities and accomplishments as outlined by NACHC. Wright Center employees, for example, develop and write guest editorials that raise awareness and address important public health issues that affect community health centers and patients. An in-house advocacy committee offers training, while the organization also hosts elected officials at its regional primary care practices. The executive leadership team participates in important meetings at the local, state and national levels that promote responsive solutions to important health care delivery issues and health outcomes. For more information about The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, go to TheWrightCenter.org .
The Wright Center Hometown Scholars Two Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education-endorsed students have been accepted into the collaborative Hometown Scholars program and will attend medical school at A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Mesa, Arizona (ATSU-SOMA). The Wright Center’s Hometown Scholars program, in partnership with ATSU-SOMA and the National Association of Community Health Centers, recruits future physicians, physician assistants and dentists from Northeast Pennsylvania that want to serve as aspirational examples for young people in the region who aspire to practice medicine and make an impact in a community health setting that provides patient-centered health care. The program helps regional high school and colleges students who are considering a career in medicine and want to serve their hometown communities as a clinician. Wright Center executives endorse the applications of qualified students who exemplify compassion, civic-mindedness and commitment to serving individuals with limited access to high-quality health care. Morgan Schermerhorn of Scranton will receive her Master in Public Health in epidemiology of chronic disease from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in May after earning her undergraduate degree in biology from New York University. The Wright Center for Community Health’s mission to alleviate barriers to quality health care and to those most in need attracted the Scranton Preparatory School graduate to the novel program. “I am honored to be selected for the Hometown Scholars program,” said Schermerhorn, the daughter of Scott and Kara Schermerhorn. “My interest in medicine began at The Wright Center when I shadowed Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak (president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education). I was inspired by the personal dedication and professionalism of Dr. Thomas-Hemak with her patients. Dr. Thomas-Hemak provides a humanistic health care experience with her patients. “Personally observing this approach, I was drawn to the mission of the community health center – providing compassionate care to all members of the community, especially those who are most marginalized,” she added. Ceilia Severini of Scranton, a Scranton Preparatory School graduate, holds a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience from Bucknell University and a Master of Biomedical Sciences from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. The daughter of Faith Severini believes the Hometown Scholars program and Wright Center’s mission coalesce with her aspirations as a future health care provider. “When I talked to Dr. Thomas-Hemak, I was intrigued by ATSU-SOMA’s unique approach to medical education,” said Severini. “I learn best from hands-on experience and feel that, though my years of education have helped me greatly in reaching this point, my experiences as a medical scribe, clinical coordinator and a standardized patient have contributed even more value. “I also want to improve access and care to those who are most marginalized in our communities. This is the ideal path for me to become a doctor as it aligns perfectly with my values and goals,” she added. The training and education hometown scholars receive at ATSU-SOMA is distinctive compared to other medical schools, as it intentionally brings students back to Northeast Pennsylvania to care for the underserved and rural communities. Medical students in the ATSU-SOMA program are assigned to one of 16 select community health center partner sites across the country and introduced to the clinical setting earlier than traditional medical schools. Wright Center hometown scholars return to the region during their second year of graduate medical school and begin rotating at clinical sites with preceptors while continuing their academic education through in-classroom and distance-education experiences. The students begin their studies at ATSU-SOMA in July. Other Wright Center-endorsed Hometown Scholars included Grace McGrath of Dunmore and Moriah Bartolai of Pittston. For more information about The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Official Earns Certification Dr. Jumee Barooah, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s designated institutional official and a primary care physician, recently earned board certification in lifestyle medicine – an approach that uses small lifestyle changes to treat and potentially reverse chronic disease and prevent illness. One of the fastest growing fields of medicine, lifestyle medicine differs from mainstream medical approaches by emphasizing non-pharmaceutical, non-invasive treatments such as wellness, resiliency, movement and a nutritious diet. Patients are empowered to take their well-being into their own hands by making improvements through manageable changes in daily activities. The Wright Center introduced a lifestyle medicine service line in 2020 to address community needs in Northeast Pennsylvania, including the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension. The Wright Center also wove lifestyle medicine into the curriculum of its graduate medical education programs, aiming to appropriately prepare the next generation of physicians to spare patients the needless suffering and expense of certain serious, long-term illnesses. Chronic disease is responsible for up to 80% of all health care expenditure, yet most health professionals typically treat chronic disease the same way they treat communicable disease: with pills and injections. By contrast, lifestyle medicine encourages physicians to focus on the so-called pillars of health: nutrition, exercise, rest and social connectivity, according to the California-based American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM). At The Wright Center, the lifestyle medicine curriculum will prepare health care providers to complete a thorough patient assessment of current health habits and then introduce individualized treatment plans based on specific risk factors. A Wright Center dietitian, for example, is available to meet individually with patients to develop plans for weight management. “Now seemed like the right time to become certified because of the health care needs of our patients and community and our new lifestyle medicine curriculum,” said Barooah, who received her certification from ABLM. “One common theme in every primary care visit with patients is preventive medicine. I thought I could contribute more to my patients and my resident and fellow physicians by becoming certified.” Lifestyle medicine represents her fourth board certification. Barooah also is certified in internal, addiction and obesity medicine. She sees patients at The Wright Center’s Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn and the Scranton Practice. For more information or to schedule an appointment at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Psychiatry Residency Presenting at Conference Dr. Erica SchmidtDr. Angelina SinghDr. Sanjay ChandragiriDr. Nathan HoffDr. Bilal Khan Two scholarly research teams at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education have had their abstracts accepted for presentation at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. Drs. Angelina Singh and Erica Schmidt, resident physicians in the four-year psychiatry residency, and Dr. Sanjay Chandragiri, program director of the psychiatry residency and a psychiatrist at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Scranton Practice, co-authored the scholarly paper, “Catatonia Presenting as Major Depressive Disorder with Psychotic Features: The Case for Increasing the Use of the Lorazepam Challenge.” The team’s case report demonstrates the importance and challenges of recognizing and treating catatonia, such as schizophrenia, in severely depressed patients with psychotic features, including delusions, hallucinations and paranoia. Drs. Bilal Khan and Nathan Hoff , resident physicians in the psychiatry residency, co-authored the paper, “Serotonin Syndrome in a 50-Year-Old Female,” with Bretty Aziz, a fourth-year medical student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and Chandragiri. The case report illustrates the potential for severe side effects that may result from interactions between multiple serotonergic agents in patients with serotonin syndrome. The American Psychiatric Association was founded in 1844. It is the oldest medical association in the United States and the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 37,400 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses. The annual meeting in May, with the theme, “Social Determinants of Mental Health,” is the largest conference in the world for psychiatrists and mental health professionals. For more information about The Wright Center for Community Health, call 570-343-2383 or go to TheWrightCenter.org.
Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Scholars’ Research Accepted at Health Resources & Services Administration Conference Ronakkumar PatelEdward DzielakNirali PatelJumee BarooahLinda Thomas-Hemak The federal Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) has accepted a scholarly research abstract from The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education for presentation at its highly competitive national conference in April. Dr. Nirali Patel, a board-certified internal medicine and board-eligible geriatrics physician and associate program director of the Geriatrics Fellowship and core faculty for internal medicine, will present the paper, “Value Impact of a Community-Based, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-Accredited Geriatrics Fellowship Immersion in an Essential Community Provider’s COVID-19 Response.” She co-authored the abstract with Drs. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO; Jumee Barooah, designated institutional official, Edward Dzielak, a geriatrics and internal medicine physician and program director of the Geriatrics Fellowship, and Ronakkumar Patel, a resident physician in the internal medicine program. The abstract, one of 72 accepted for presentation, illustrates how HRSA’s investment in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Geriatrics Fellowship led to the successful training of its first graduating class during the height of the pandemic. Fellows acted as a key pandemic workforce, offering safely managed and supervised in-person clinic, home-based and telehealth visits for geriatric patients. In addition, fellows also engaged in deployment of The Wright Center for Community Health’s 34-foot mobile medical unit, Driving Better Health, to deliver primary health services, as well as COVID-19 testing, monoclonal antibody infusions and vaccinations at senior living facilities. Along with primary care residents, geriatric fellows formed a vital workforce for the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Education Support and Clinical Coaching Program that provided support to personal care, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. HRSA’s abstract review committee chose the research article for its Bureau of Health Workforce Virtual All Grantee and Stakeholder Meeting. The focus of the meeting is for participants to learn from grantees and trainees about programs, ideas and research that can improve the health workforce. Overall, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education has had 75 scholarly abstracts, written on a wide array of topics in medicine, accepted for presentation at professional conferences since the beginning of the 2021-22 academic year. The fellowship in geriatrics is a one-year program that emphasizes quality of care and a deep understanding of socioeconomic determinants of health for older patients that face the unique health challenges that come with aging. For more information about The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, go to thewrightcenter.org or call 570-343-2383.
